The Body Shop enter the Chinese cosmetics market Essay

The Body Shop enter the Chinese cosmetics market - Essay Example Since 1949, the telltale signs of China’s economic improvement are convincing (Raiklin, 2012). First, China was able to resolve its anarchy and disorder issues. With the resolution of the two issues, businesses can now flourish. The resolution of the two issues indicates peace and order currently prevails in today’s china environment. Further, peace and order allows the current and future customers to freely visit the nearest stores (Ferrell, 2011). The current and future customers are not fearful of being robbed while crossing the street towards the nearest department store. Similarly, the typical Chinese customers is assured that he will be able to visit the nearest corner store without be shot or killed by the street gangs. With peace and order prevailing, the customers are able to visit the stores during late nights to buy their food, medicines, and other personal necessities (Raiklin, 2013). The peace and order allows the stores to open up their shops (Hartline, 2011). The store owners will not fear that the store will be robbed. The presence of police officers watching the busy China streets will discourage the current and future store robbers from implementing their illegal activities. The stores will be able generate enough sales to pay for the costs and expenses of operating the stores (Raiklin, 2013). Street gangs will discourage economic benefits (Baumol, 2009). The stores located within street gang-infested streets will constantly be robbed by street gangs. Street gangs may threaten current and future customers who enter the store. Consequently, the current and future customers may decide to buy from safer places. China’s peaceful economic climate will ensure the Body Shop will continue to generate higher store visits and purchases from current and future customers. With the two issues resolved, the people learn to obey societal rules (Weihrich, 2009). The people learn to implement the

Enteprenuership and Organizational Behavior Essay

Enteprenuership and Organizational Behavior - Essay Example This study therefore seeks to establish adequate principles and approaches needed to accomplish the relevant ambitious trends. Systematically Analyse the Concept of Entrepreneurialism The entrepreneur is an individual or group who is keen to abide by the risks of organising, operating as well as assuming the possibilities for a business venture in order to build capital either through profits (in case of profit earning organisations/companies) or through funds (in case of non-profit institutions). From a generalised perspective, entrepreneurialism can be denoted as one of the effective entrepreneurial cultures deliberately contributing towards various social development activities. Entrepreneurship today is extensively involved with the transforming ideas concerning economic growth of a society or a country at large. They are risk takers, who look forward to undertake any challenge or task without any hesitation. There are certain numbers of characteristics that are involved with the effectiveness of entrepreneurs, such as self confidence, sense of ownership, continuous learning skills, communication abilities, goal and system oriented cognitive skills and dedicat ion towards the objectives with an optimistic point of view, among others. Among the various notable entrepreneurs of this era, Lord Alan Sugar has been one. Born in East London, he worked against all odds to be a member at the House of Commons and to hold 89th position in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2011. Amstrad has been his most successful venture. 1.2 Critically Evaluate Entrepreneurialism as an Agent of Change in Both Public and Private Health and Social Care Sector. In the modern day context of healthcare and social organizations, the entrepreneurs are highly inclined towards gaining increased revenue or profit for the organization. However, social enterprises now-a-days entail certain significant attributes related to the governmental public policies. The enterprises of the globalised world focusing on a developed entrepreneurship are different from traditional and socio-economic approaches which motivated the European countries to adopt developed legal frameworks. The contemporary scenario of healthcare organizations is necessary to be conscious of the environmental changes, also to implement suitable plans and strategies for the organization, concentrated on its social benefits. Significant plans along with the appropriate strategies are more effective for the organizat

Health care providers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health care providers - Assignment Example The paper tells that the basic principle that governs the objectives of health care providers is the duty and responsibility to promote people’s health. The idea is not only getting people to stay healthy, but also to maintain their good health over time. In the light of achieving this objective, health care professionals have had difficulties embracing change. This has been rooted in the line of services offered and the nature of their profession. To start with, the demand for health care is derived rather than direct. In this regard, heath care professionals have always differed in determining what combination yields maximum benefit for health care seekers. A unique consensus lacks among these professionals, thereby constituting the difficulties therein. Consensus about a given way of having things done is fundamental in determining need for change and the extent to which change is spread across the identified practitioners. Change is by great margin characterized by an adva ncement of a given status or level. Health related advancements take longer to materialize and create the desired impact in the specific medical field they are tailored to. This as a result of longer time lags of research and development in health sector. On the same note, health professionals practice a rather fixed profession where most ways of doing things require that a given system, mechanism or protocol be followed. Change is an expensive affair. The health sector is primarily financed by the government through the relevant ministries and agencies. Critical resources need to be put in place for effective realization of change. Innovativeness, creativity and inventions are key drivers of an intervention that is likely to bring about change. Health care professionals on their own cannot afford to undertake such interventions in the absence of adequate funds. On the same note, contemporary technology ought to be integrated in the process. This factor combination constitutes numer ous difficulties in the context of change for and by health professionals. What are some of the ethical issues posed by information technology? Information technology has been a great boost of the current health care systems in place. Technological advancements have facilitated and aided success into various medical interventions. However, the positives attributed to information technology are not without their negative side. Ethical issues have been raised in the light of using information technology. One of the ethical concerns posed by information technology is that confidentiality for health care givers and health care seekers. A lot of information about patients and health care professionals are stored in data bases run through information technology programs (Dewar, 2009). This information is likely to be available to a number of users, even those that it does not concern. The privacy of both parties aforementioned is therefore guaranteed because of the likelihood of access by one person after the other. Computer crimes have also had their impact on the provision of health care. Hacking has become quite common, and the motives behind such acts are ill. Misuses of information stored in computers have also been of ethical concerns to the sector. Both the health care professionals have used this information for personal or for collective gains at the expense of another party. Moral obligations and codes of conduct for both caregivers and patients have been violated, thus the emergence of ethical concerns in the health system, particularly in the application and use of information technology. At some point, social security has been challenged. What are some of the issues that were unique at Hermann Healthcare System? How did leadership deal with these issues? Healthcare provision is a practice that requires pulling up adequate resources and finances for effective and efficient

Blood Brothers Essay Example for Free

Blood Brothers Essay In the three plays I have read by Willy Russell, all of them are linked by the fact that they all contain an aspect of social inequality. Russell uses humour in all these plays to show serious messages, mostly through stereotypes. In every play there are two very contrasting social groups, each figure-headed by certain characters in the stories. For example, in Blood Brothers, Mickey figureheads the working class society like Rita does in Educating Rita, and the children do in Our Day Out. Whereas Eddie figureheads the middle class society in Blood Brothers, Frank does in Educating Rita, and Mr. Briggs does in Our Day Out. We found that the people from the working class backgrounds were all very broad scoucers, who tended to use slang words such as ciggie and chippie. They were what you would call a very typical stereotype of a broad liverpudlian. Most of them had problems aswell. For instance, Mickey in Blood Brothers has family problems because he has many older siblings which means he gets a lot of hand-me-down clothes and gets bullied by his older brother Sammy who breaks his toys. Rita in Educating Rita has many conflicts with her husband Denny who doesnt want her to carry on with her tuition from Frank. She wants to be educated so that she can have choices. As the play progresses and Rita becomes more educated she begins to make her own decisions, she moves out of her house, ends her relationship with Denny and says I might even have a baby The people from the middle class backgrounds however were made to look rather different. Eddie in Blood Brothers doesnt have to share his toys with brothers or sisters like Mickey does, and his mother doesnt have to worry about financial problems because they have quite a lot of money. The men that were from the middle class backgrounds (Mr. Briggs and Frank) both wore suits and seemed to be well educated, living a comfortable lifestyle. This society of people in the stories tended to speak more formally using words such as What in the world is being off ones cake? Eddie is brought up to speak correctly and not use colloquialisms. In Blood Brothers Micky asks him what a dictionary is and Eddie replies It is a book which tells you the meaning of words. I think Russell makes the social classes seem so very different to one another in each play, so that when they come together there is a lot of humour, but also a lot of tension between them because neither social class really understand each other. This forms a rich and poor type of scenario for all three plays. In Educating Rita Frank is a rich lecturer and Rita is a poor university student who has bad problems with her husband at home. In Our Day Out there is a similar contrast between Mr. Briggs the, well-spoken teacher, and the children who come from a poor, run-down area. These rich and poor scenarios are serious messages that Russell conveys in all three plays. Interestingly enough though, it is the people from the middle class backgrounds that turn out to be the most strange of the two societies. Frank in Educating Rita has a drink addiction, yet has a comfortable lifestyle and is on a stable income. Mr. Briggs doesnt like the children at the school where he works because they are less fortunate than himself, he says most of them were rejects on the day they were born. Eddies adopted mother in Blood Brothers, Mrs. Lyons, is supersticious and unhappy. Quote: The shoes! The shoes! On the table! Get them off! Get them off! Frank and Mr. Briggs are in many ways the same, they both wear suits and dress smartly, they both have similar lifestyles and they both have some sort of problem (i. e. the drink and the hatred for people less fortunate than him). This is where I think that Blood Brothers is different, it doesnt contain a male character as old as Frank or Mr. Briggs who appears often in the story. Whereas the conversations between adult and youth in the other stories are mainly comical, like in Our Day Out when the two lads are caught smoking at the back of the bus, in Blood Brothers they are more intense. I think Blood Brothers on the whole is more intense. In Blood Brothers Russell uses a narrator drifting in and out of the play at certain times, saying daunting things about the scene that has just happened, or is going to happen. I believe this represents the devil and is a good way of creating an eerie tension, because he moves to different places on the stage in the play, and you never see his whole face or body, he is always in the shadows. There are no narrators in the two other plays but dramatic devices also take on the form of dramatic irony. In Blood Brothers this is shown by the two twins not knowing they are twins, when they first become friends. Later in the story when they find out they were born on the same day That means we can be blood brothers the audience can see what is happening, they are going to eventually find out that they are real brothers, and there will be a big disaster because of this. Our Day Out shows dramatic irony when the bus driver is told the children cant afford sweets or lemonade lemonade never touches their lips but when the driver turns around they all are munching on chocolate bars! Later on their journey the bus stops at a sweet shop and the audience sees the shopkeepers talking about raising the prices of the goods in their shop Can I help inflation? The audience now know that the shopkeepers are going to raise their prices, but the children dont. The children get their revenge for being ripped off. They all squeeze into the shop and each time the shopkeepers turn their backs to collect more sweets from the shelves, the kids pocket anything in front of them. The two shopkeepers are oblivious to the stealing taking place until the coach leaves and they realise no money from the till has changed hands Thievin little bastards! shouts one of the shopkeepers. Russell also uses the influence of song in Blood Brothers and Our Day Out to show the mood and feelings of the characters as the play progresses. At the beginning of Blood Brothers Mrs. Johnston is seen dancing in a pub singing a song with the lines Oh we went dancing. in the chorus. As the play continues she occasionally sings this line but at a tempo which reflects the mood of the play itself. In Our Day Out the songs are cheerful and uplifting Were off, were off, were off in a motor car. The themes of the three plays are all linked in many ways. As I have said before, social inequality connects all three, another is the fact they are all set in and around Liverpool with some of the characters in each play speaking with a very broad Liverpudlian accent. Finally, the last one is that they all contain an aspect concerning death. I. e. In Blood Brothers, Mickey and Eddie, in Educating Rita, Ritas flatmate tries to commit suicide, and in Our Day Out one of the pupils called Carol also attempts to kill herself Try an get me an Ill jump over. I believe that Willy Russell features the aspects of social inequality, hatred, death, abuse, love, irony and humour in each play because he knows they have a hard-hitting impact on the audience. Also I think it is because at some time in his life he has been affected significantly by them and so, involves them in something which he can express his feelings and emotions at. Writing.

Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif Essay Example for Free

Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif Essay During his second term, he notably ordered Pakistans first nuclear tests in response to Indias nuclear tests. [1] He was ousted in an October 1999 military coup by Pervez Musharraf. He returned to Pakistan in late 2007 after eight years of forced exile. He successfully called for Musharrafs impeachment and the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. He is a potent force in Pakistani politics. Early life and Education Originally, his family came from the village of Heera mandi His family moved to Lahore before the creation of Pakistan for better farmland. 2] His family also traces their roots to Shopian in the Kashmir valley. [3] He was born in Lahore, Pakistan on December 25, 1949, a year after the nations founding. He came from a family of scrap traders. His father and uncles had a small steel business named as Ittefaq in Landa Bazar Lahore before the creation of Pakistan. He attended St. Anthonys School Lahore. However, he along with his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif later on attended Pakistan Railway High School, Moghalpura, and Lahore. Both passed Matric from this school in 1964 and 1965 respectively. Nawaz Sharif got admission in the Government College of Lahore. He obtained his B. A. degree after appearing in the supplementary examination. He attained his Bachelor of Law degree from the Punjab University Law College, which is also in Lahore. Business enterprise: Ittefaq Group He is a joint owner of Ittefaq Group. Ittefaq Group is one of the largest business conglomerates in Pakistan. He helped establish the Ittefaq Islamic Academy in Lahore, where students receive religious instruction in addition to their secular training. A practicing Muslim, Sharif comes from a religious family and has said he would make the teaching of the Quran, the Muslim Holy Book, a compulsory subject up to the secondary level. He appeared in one 1st class cricket match from Pakistan Railway against Karachi in 1974 where he scored a duck. He and his cousins expanded their family iron foundry. They lost control of their business in the 1972 nationalization by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. It was re-established in 1977 as Ittefaq Industries in Lahore. The business was returned after Sharif developed political links with President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq. By 1990, Ittefaq Industries was one of Pakistans most affluent conglomerates, with more than $450 million in annual revenues, up from about $16 million in 1981. It included the countrys largest private steel mill, Ittefaq Foundries (Pvt) Ltd, eight sugar mills, and four textile factories. Sharifs net worth is around US $4 billion. With upwards of hundred thousand employees, Ittefaq Group has played a significant role in the development and growth of industry in Pakistan. It has likely influenced Sharifs political career and pro-business stance as well. Initial Political Career He principally rose to political prominence as a staunch proponent of the military government of President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq during the 1980s. He maintained an alliance with Rahimuddin Khan. He also had ties with ISI Director-General Hamid Gul, who played a substantial role in the formation of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad- a conservative political alliance that supported Sharif. citation needed] Punjab Advisory Council In 1981, he initially joined as a member of the Punjab Advisory Council under President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. He served as the Minister of Finance and Minister of Sports under the provincial government of Punjab. During his tenure, he was credited with increasing funding for sports activities and rural projects. He also wanted to continue the peaceful nuclear atomic program and to make Pakistan a truly Islamic state and to do so he introduced Islamic Laws such as the Shariat Ordinance and Bait-ul-Maal (to help poor orphans widows etc); Moreover he gave tasks to the Ministry of Religious Affairs to prepare reports and recommendations for steps taken for Islamization. He ensured the establishment of three committees. 1) Ittehad-e-bain-ul-Muslemeen 2) Nifaz-e-Shariat Committee 3) Islamic Welfare Committee He believed in forming a Muslim Bloc by uniting all Central Asian Muslim Countries thus he extended the membership of ECO to all Central Asian Countries. Nawaz Sharif was pretty confident that he had majority in the assembly thus he ruled with considerable confidence. He had disputes with three successive army chiefs. He contended with General Mirza Aslam Beg over the 1991 Gulf War, with General Asif Nawaz over the Sindh Operation Clean-Up issue, and with General Abdul Waheed Kakar over the Sharif-Ishaq Imbroglio. To diffuse the tension him and Benazir and to disperse the long march he promised her to release her detained husband and to abolish the Eighth amendment her Party’s co-operation (PPP). Ghulam took this as an attack on him by the ruling party so in order to win the presidential election he on April 1993, with the support of the Pakistan Army, used his reserve powers to dissolve the National Assembly and appointed Mir Balakh Sher Mazari as the Caretaker Prime Minister. In May 1993, Sharif returned to power after the Supreme Court ruled that the Presidential Order as unconstitutional and reconstituted the National Assembly. In July 1993, Sharif resigned under pressure from the military but negotiated a settlement that resulted in the removal of President Ghulam Ishaq Khan. Moin Qureshi became Caretaker Prime Minister. He was succeeded shortly thereafter by Benazir Bhutto in October 1993. Second term as Prime Minister U. S. Defense Secretary, William S. Cohen, with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, at the Pentagon, 3 December 1998. He was elected Prime Minister in 1997 to serve a non-consecutive second term. [7] In August 1997, he passed the controversial Anti-Terrorist Act which established Anti-Terrorism Courts. The Supreme Court later rendered the Act unconstitutional. In 1999, he met with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Wagah border and signed a joint communique, known as the Lahore Declaration. [8] 1998 Pakistans nuclear tests Pakistans nuclear tests were an important turning point in his political career. Pakistan carried out its successful nuclear tests on 28 May 1998, and on 30 May 1998, in response to the Indian detonation of five nuclear devices roughly two weeks before. When India tested its nuclear arsenal a second time, it caused a great alarm in Pakistan. After weeks of anticipation, Pakistan surprised the world by conducting its own nuclear tests. Sharif proclaimed an emergency on the same day as these nuclear tests were conducted. All the foreign currency accounts in Pakistani banks were frozen to minimize the effects of economic sanctions. Nawaz put the Pakistan Armed Forces on high alert in order to defend countrys nuclear installations. He justified the tests on national security grounds, as they demonstrated Pakistans nuclear deterrent capabilities against an armed Indian nuclear program. Under Nawaz Sharifs leadership, Pakistan became the first Muslim country and seventh nation to become a nuclear power. Constitution Amendment In late August 1998, he proposed a law to establish a legal system based on the Islamic principles. [9] His proposal came a week after 10-year commemorations of the late President Zia ul-Haq. The Cabinet removed some of its controversial aspects. [10][11] The National Assembly approved and passed the bill on 10 October 1998 by 151 votes to 16. 12] However, the amendment failed to achieve two-thirds majority in the Senate. Weeks afterward, Sharifs government would suffer a military coup. Relations with the military During his second tenure, he removed General Karamat over the National Security Council disputes. He later had severe political confrontation with General Musharraf that resulted in a coup detat which removed him from office. At the end of General Waheed’s three-year term in January 1996, General Jehangir Karamat was appointed army chief. His term was due to end on 9 January 1999. In October 1998, however, Sharif fell out with General Karamat over the latter’s advocacy of the need for the creation of a National Security Council. Sharif interpreted this move to be a conspiracy to return the military to a more active role in Pakistani politics. In October 1998, General Karamat resigned and Sharif appointed General Pervez Musharraf as army chief. During the Kargil War in 1999, he claimed to have no knowledge of the planned attacks, saying that Pervez Musharraf acted alone. [13] Military coup Further information: 1999 Pakistani coup detat On 12 October 1999, Sharif attempted to remove Pakistan Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf and appoint Ziauddin Butt in his place. Musharraf, who was in Sri Lanka, attempted to return through a commercial airliner to return to Pakistan. Sharif ordered Sindh IG Rana Maqbool to arrest of Chief of Army Staff and Musharraf. He ordered the Karachi Airport to be sealed off to prevent the landing of the Musharrafs airliner fearing a coup detat. Sharif ordered the plane to land at Nawab Shah Airport. Musharraf contacted top Pakistan Army Generals who then took over the country and ousted Sharifs administration. Musharraf later assumed control of the government as Chief Executive. [14] Trial The military placed him on trial for kidnapping, attempted murder, hijacking and terrorism. The military court quickly convicted him and gave him a life sentence. [15] Under an agreement facilitated by Saudi Arabia, Sharif was placed in exile for the next 10 years. Return to Pakistan Failed Attempt in Islamabad On August 23, 2007, Pakistans top court ruled Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Shahbaz, were free to return. Both vowed to return soon. [16][17] On 8 September 2007, Lebanese politician Saad Hariri and Saudi intelligence chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz addressed an unprecedented joint press conference at Army House to discuss how Sharifs return would affect relations. [18] Muqrin stated that the initial agreement was for 10 years but these little things do not affect relations. † [18] Muqrin expressed hope that Sharif would continue with the agreement. [18] On 10 September 2007, Sharif returned from exile in London [18] to Islamabad. Post-2008 elections His party had joined a coalition led by PPP but the alliance had been strained by differences over the fate of judges Musharraf dismissed last year and over how to handle the unpopular president. [31] Sharif won much public support for his uncompromising stand against Musharraf and for his insistence the judges be reinstated. [31] The coalition successfully forced Musharrafs resignation. He also successfully pressured Zardari for the reinstatement of judges removed by Musharraf in emergency rule. This led to the courts cleansing Sharif of a criminal record rendering him eligible to re-enter parliament. [32] By-Elections In June 2008 by-elections, Sharifs party won three National Assembly seats and eight provincial assembly seats, all but one in the countrys political nerve center of Punjab province, where Shahbaz Sharif heads the provincial government. [33] The Lahore seat election was postponed because of wrangling over whether Sharif was eligible to contest. [31] [34] 2008 Musharraf impeachment On 7 August 2008, the coalition government agreed to impeach Musharraf.

Human resource policies

Human resource policies Part A: Formal Human Resource Policies Introduction Human Resource (HR) policies can be defined as â€Å"continuing guidelines on the approach the organization intends to adopt in managing its people† (Armstrong, 2007). They are formal rules adopted by a business that define how to employ, train, assess, and reward the personnel, forming the philosophies of the organization, which lead to the principles which managers are supposed to practise when coping with HR matters. Consequently, HR policies help in the decision-making process concerning staff when HR practices are unfold. Part A of the assignment looks at a HR policies concept that promises to help organizations to manage various situations in working environment. The central statement that this part attempted to discuss and debate is: Literature Review According to Salinas O. in his Article â€Å"Other concepts and tools in Human Resources†Policies of recruitment, implementation, maintenance, development and control of Human Resource are vital for the proper performance of work force in the company. â€Å"In our opinion, the policies set by the company will never be unnecessary, just poorly developed or they have not been designed†. Advantages and Disadvantages of HR Policies The main claim made for HR policies is that when they are well-organized it can eliminate potential misinterpretations between employees and employers defining their rights and obligations within the firm. Ramey Sniffen (1991) claim that â€Å"sound human resource policy is a necessity in the growth of any business or company†. Authors believe that recognition of this necessity usually appears after the increase in time and money wasted on resolving human resource issues. These resources could be well spent on production, marketing, and planning for growth. Effective, consistent, and fair human resource decisions are often made more time consuming by a lack of written, standardized policies and procedures. The advantages of written HR policies may sound obvious, but there are also disadvantages. According to Armstrong (2007), formal policies can be inflexible, constrictive, and platitudinous. Moreover, policies are often expressed in abstract terms that may lead managers to get confused over abstractions. It appeared that even though HR experts tend to believe that written policies are a necessity, employees usually against it as written records may become dangerous and can be used against them in a lawsuit and vice versa, the organisation can become a subject to similar attacks. Organisational Analysis We can notice examples that show us the relationship between cause and effect of the poorly developed policies which further lead to organisational problems and low productivity. This can be reflected in following organisational examples analyzed below, however, some of the organisations mentioned have adopted some HR policies which brought a positive impact on the organisation. CAUSE # 1 →DIFFICULTIES IN PERFOMANCE EVALUATION Employees without self- assessment Effects The companys evaluation is not known by the areas Managers dont discuss the companys evaluation with employees CAUSE # 2 →COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS The company lacks of communication flow Effects Lack training for development of communicative skills Lack of spaces and technology in order to improve the communications transmission CAUSE # 3 →INSUFFICIENT TRAINING Lack of studies according to necessities of training Effects Resistance by employees to have training Few options to training CAUSE # 4 →LOW COMMITMENT TO DO TASKS Low motivation Effects Absolute ignorance of results achieved by the employees Low participation by the employees making decisions CAUSE # 5 →INADEQUATE SYSTEM OF SELECTION Poor pre-contract investigation Effects Deficiencies in the scheme of recruitment Gap in the call phase CAUSE # 6 →POOR STIMULATION SYSTEM Effects Insufficient Stimulation in items such as : salary, promotion, training and bonus Organisational Examples Wright et al. (2003) argues that companies start treating people as a human capital of competitive advantage which can be taken through the HR policies that best leverage of HR practices and its performance. Hilton Internationals UK hotels perceive this idea as being fundamenktally concerned with deployment of a service culture throughout the organization by paying special attention to line manager involvement in human resource practice (Maxwell Watson, 2006). HR policy also designed to address gender issues with emphasis on equal opportunities and efficiency concerns. Not taking these issues seriously usually lead to sexual discriminations particular among woman workforce sector. A study conducted by Standing (2000) describes the lack of reference to gender issues mostly in developing countries. It is exemplified that in Zimbabwe womens formal sector employment is mainly in the service sector and women stand at the lower end of the hierarchy and salary grades. It is also noted that in Uganda, only 3.7% women are employed in professional, technical, clerical and managerial occupations. LG Electronics India had come up with new and improved HR Policy by introducing the Joyful Working 5 (JW5) programme. To accelerate and strengthen the Culture at LGEIL as the survey was conducted within the company, which mainly focused on the monotony employees are facing at work and the boredom they are undergoing. Such policy created the platform for both the employees and employers in better understanding and pleasant work environment which not only helped the company creating the compelling future, but also build the culture of striving for number one position in the industry. (LG, 2009) NHS Direct were planning to redundant some of their employees in the next few months. With the formal company policies in place, the UNISON union committee had fought back with the statement that NHS Direct has breached policy for reasons which include failing to consult with UNISONs collective committee that there were plans to issue advance notice of redundancies. As a result, NHS Directs director of human resources said, If the proposal is accepted, we would, wherever possible, offer staff alternative employment at nearby NHS Direct sites and redundancies would only take effect as a last resort. (TheComet24, 2009) This is a case about Blue Cross Company; according to Larson (2007) Susan Baldwin working for Blue Cross Company claimed she was subjected to various profanities and sexual innuendo from her boss. Blue Cross immediately interviewed Scott Head, the alleged harasser, and three other employees, but no one substantiated Baldwins claims. Rather than terminating or disciplining the supervisor, Blue Cross gave him a warning and offered to hire an industrial psychologist to counsel both him and Baldwin. She refused. When Baldwin refused Blue Crosss subsequent offer to transfer her to another location, she was terminated. Her lawsuit followed quickly. The court found that Blue Cross was not liable for discrimination for terminating Baldwin because, Firing an employee because she will not cooperate with the employers reasonable efforts to resolve her complaints is not discrimination based on sex, even if the complaints are about sexual harassment. The court also found that Blue Cross was not liable for the alleged acts of its supervisor because it exercised reasonable care to promptly correct harassing behaviour as soon as it was reported, and Baldwin unreasonably failed to take advantage of the remedial actions Blue Cross offered. (Larson, 2007) A case about Sharon Coleman a former legal secretary in July 2008, won a legal battle in the European Court of Justice against her employers Attridge Law (now called EBR Attridge LLP), whom she accused of discriminating against her at the workplace and of having forced her into accepting voluntary redundancy. As Coleman had a 4-year-old son who was disabled, born with a medical condition that led to his having difficulties in breathing and hearing. According to Coleman, she was treated differently at work from other employees, who had normal children. By the law of Flexibility in the Workplace Discrimination by Association, Coleman sued the company and won her legal battle.(ICMR, 2008a) Eli Lilly Company (Lilly) worlds leading Pharmaceuticals Company, which claims to have a very good diversity program running at the company and was also widely regarded as a very good employer, faced a federal lawsuit regarding the companys human rights policies and practices. On April 20, 2006, a class action lawsuit was filed with the US District Court, Southern District of Indiana, by four black employees who had worked at Lilly. The lawsuit charged the company with being hostile and biased against them because of their race. Lilly was accused of discriminating against the black employees on the basis of race and denying them fair wages, promotions, performance evaluations and discipline. In terms of renovation, reinvention, transformation or redesign, General Electric, has done emphasis in having a good working relationship and keep the best atmosphere for their employees. According to Immelt J, people are the most important value in General Electric. Therefore, the ability to recruit the best people in the world is a competitive advantage without comparison. A strategic point into the management of RH is the communication chain, at the same time; the leaders must be able to represent employers and employees. Clear HR policies are essential so employees could understand their company and gain a sense of belonging. Harley Davison which has a human resources system based on formal training and learning management. The result of this is that their employees share a positive attitude that is associated with the development and competitiveness of this Company. Harley Davison institutionalises its commitment to learning and created the University of Harley with the aim if developing leaders, translating values into action with an emotional performance in which the value attached to learning applies and, the evaluation of individual performance shapes a new organization in which the learning is shared and it is the ingredient that binds employees. For the Swede Ingvar Kamprad founder of IKEA company, who started his idea in 1943, thinking in the basic necessities of the common people and nowadays his company has branch on 36 countries of Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania with more than 200 stores, the protection and careful of his employees, is and will be one of the most important policy, doing of them, a company with high social responsibility. Currently IKEA has more than 105.000 employees, for this reason their greatest concern for them is give to their employees a good balance between work and personal life, therefore, they have kept flexibility in their task and activities, suitable schedules, plans of professional development, support in different studies as college or universities and medical coverage; consequently of their policies in RH and programs for employees, IKEA has received several awards. WALMART, company which is into top 5 of the greatest companies in the world. It success is based mainly in â€Å"customers and employees†, In fact the policies created around the employees was essential in his goals, Sam Walson founder, offered their employees, benefits and gaining, in order to, they were part of the excellent results. In other words, Sam Walson wanted his employees were members, encouraging from cashiers to managers to think how owners, idea very successful, likewise, for him, was fundamental to have employees with new ideas, clear thoughts and positive mind without bad habits from their previous jobs. Nestlà © was a result of the merger in 1905 of the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk, founded in 1866, with (Farine Lactea) Nestlà © SA., Founded in 1867 by Henri Nestlà ©, who invented a product that continues to save the lives of children and newborn infant formula for babies whose mothers cannot breastfeed. its success is the sum of a long and distinguished history, part of its success is based on the thought that their partners should achieve a good balance between their careers and their privacy. Not only because it reinforces the loyalty, satisfaction and it improves productivity, also it has a positive impact on the reputation of the Company and to attract and motivate employees. According to the list of Best Workplaces 2007, Microsoft has been designated as the company with better working environment, the study include: credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. According to it, the Microsoft executives are fulfilling their promises in creating career and training opportunities and properly assigning functions (promotions to worthy people), the company involves employees in decision-making takes into account their suggestions, recognizes his work and allows flexibility. Employee networks are a key element of American Express success in supporting diversity in the workplace. Currently, American Express has 10 networks open to all employees organized around topics of interest to African-American, Asian, Christian, Gay Lesbian, Hispanic, Jewish, and Native American employees, as well as for People over 40, People with Disabilities and Women. These networks provide support to American Express business objectives, including enhancing marketing efforts in targeted communities, supporting employee recruitment and retention initiatives, and participating in outreach and volunteer programs. These networks have also been instrumental in helping to introduce new policies and benefits to employees. For example, GLOBE, the companys gay and lesbian network, was instrumental in having domestic partner benefits introduced back in 1997. And WIN, the womens network, worked with management to introduce a customized companywide alternative work arrangements policy as well as a free backup childcare centers in several locations throughout the United States. A mishandling on the resources human policies, can lead to failure. Such as is the case of ENRON one of the seven biggest companies in United States, the problem was focused in a poor policy of recruitment and selection, due to, they chosen people with high qualification, but they were not suitable for the position, besides people hired by just friendship, taking wrong decisions in critical situations. Is the case of Cindy Olson who was HR Vice-President of ENRON. She did not have enough knowledge about United States laws regarding to employee benefits, giving wrong advices of investment over stock-options. The previous point represents a serious violation to the financial legislation in the United State of America. Conclusions Looking at the evidence provided, it seems that production and maintenance of formal HR policies record are applied in ways that assures that personnel management policies are in use. Companies typically have to make revisions to established HR policies on a regular basis otherwise there is a danger of those policies to become outdated as the company grows and as the regulatory and business environments in which it operates evolve. On the other side, Policies can be made today and changed tomorrow who can stop the management from doing that? Most research on human resource (HR) policies in the workplace suggests that formal policies can contribute to variation in discrimination by altering employers behaviours. We consider an alternative manner by which HR policies influence formal discrimination complaints. HR policies, especially those targeting employees, can raise employees rights awareness and encourage them to seek remedies for discrimination at work. PART B: BOYCOTTS, LOCKOUTS AND STRIKES Chapter 1. Introduction Industrial actions typically take place when a disagreement between the trade union and the management team of a business is not resolved through negotiation. The main forms of industrial action are: Strikes (workers refuse to work for the employer) and Lockouts (a work stoppage where the employer stops workers from working). These sorts of actions should be avoided because they are expensive for businesses and countries; actions must be taken by HR management and trade unions in order to solve the disputes at work, they have mechanisms such as: Mediation (A mediator, an impartial expert talks to both parties and gets a solution both can accept); Conciliation (Though similar to mediation but used to resolve legal dispute instead of general problems inside the company); Arbitration (An impartial person known as an arbitrator, decides between two claims).The last resource affirms by NI Direct, UK to solve a work problem is going to an Industrial Tribunal or a court Literature Review Not until the 1960s, Leopold, Harris, Watson (2005) claimed, â€Å"There was little in the way of legal intervention in the relationship between employer and employee. A growing concern about the impact of the countrys high level of industrial stoppages on the UKs economic performance led to the setting up of the Donovan Commission to investigate the countrys industrial relations problems. While the Commissions report (Donovan, 1968) supported the continuance of the voluntary system of bargaining it recommended reform based on ‘properly conducted, collective bargaining with a greater formalization of the process at company level which was to include the professionalization of personnel specialists. Certain individuals/organisations operate with a view of management and work organisations which academics often characterize as processual an approach which they contrast with a systems one (Watson, 2002). They see management as a process in which managers are ‘all the time negotiating and renegotiating compromises and achieving work agreements, rather than a ‘matter of resigning systems which sort everything out. They operate within a pluralist perspective: This always taking into account the fact that there is a plurality of interests, goals, wants and priorities among the variety of people involved in any given organisation. Other organisations see management and employment relations from Unitary Perspective: This assumes the predominance of common interests and shared priorities across the organisation†. Pages 412-414 Boycott Burnett (1891) defined boycott as â€Å"a means of moral offence used by individuals against each other, or by sections of a community against other sections or individuals differing from them on some matter of action or opinion. The industrial boycott almost invariably but not always or necessarily, is a phase of strike or lock-out, but it sometimes exists apart from either. It is generally used against an employer who refuses to concede the demands of his workpeople or of trade union, but it sometimes applied by one organisation of workmen against another. It may accompany or supplement and follow, an unsuccessful strike, or it may be wielded against an employer having no dispute with his employee, simply because they do not belong to a trade union†. Pages 163-173 Lock-Out According to DEWR, Australian Government, â€Å"Lockout is a weapon of an employer to thwart or enforce such change by preventing employees from working. Another measure is work to rule, when production is virtually brought to a halt by the strict following of union rules. This will depend on whether the lockout is â€Å"protected† (ie. lawful) or â€Å"unprotected† (ie. unlawful). Lockouts are protected if: They occur during a properly notified bargaining period There is a genuine attempt to reach agreement before the industrial action is taken; Employer gives at least three working days written notice to each party with whom they are negotiating (unless the lockout is a response to protected industrial action by employees). Guests (1995) fourfold classification of options for managing the employment relationship HRM PRIORITY High HRM PRIORITY Low IR PRIORITY High New Realism High emphasis on HRM ER Traditional Collectivism Priority to IR without HRM IR PRIORITY Low Individualised HRM High priority to HRM No IR The Black Hole No HRM No IR Guest identifies that there are a number of policy options that need to be considered when developing an employment relations strategy. He describes four options: The new realism a high emphasis on human resource management and industrial relations. The aim is to integrate human resource management and industrial relations. This is the policy of such organisation as Nissan and Toshiba. New collaborative arrangements in the shape of single-table bargaining are usually the result of employer initiatives, but both employers and unions are often satisfied with them. They have facilitated greater flexibility, more multiskilling, the removal of demarcations and improvements in quality. They can also extend consultation processes and accelerate moves towards single status. Traditional collectivism priority to industrial relations without human resource management. This involves retaining the traditional pluralist industrial relations arrangements within an eventually unchanged industrial relations system. Management may take the view in these circumstances that it is easier to continue to operate within a union, since it provides a useful, well-established channel for communication and for the handling of grievance, discipline and safety issues. Individualised human resource management high priority to human resource management with no industrial relations. According to Guest, this approach is not very common, except in North American owned firms. It is, he believes, essentially piecemeal and opportunist. The black hole no industrial relations. This option is becoming more prevalent in organisations in which human resource management is not a policy priority for management and where they do not see that there is a compelling reason to operate within a traditional industrial relations system. When such organisations are facing a decision on whether or not to recognise a union, they are increasingly deciding not to do so. THEORETICAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MANAGING UNION RELATIONS In general terms, various organisations/management employ different ways in resolving or managing conflicts with employees or trade unions. Leopold, Harris and Watson (2005) outlined the TraditionalStrategic Human Resourcing theory in managing Union Relations. Traditional Strategic Human Resourcing Options in Management-Union Relations One of the major ways in which employing organisations can manage conflicts and handle many of the potential differences that can arise between employer and employee has been through institutionalised arrangements of collective bargaining and Consultation with the Trade Unions. A key human resourcing strategic decision for the managers of any organisation is whether or not they are going to recognize, pr continue to recognize trade union(s) as a legitimate vehicle for the expression of employee interests Unions win the vast majority of pre-strike ballots, but in most cases, strikes do not occur because further negotiations to reach a final settlement occur (Labour Research Department, 1993). Thus Blyton and Turnbull (1998:301) conclude that strikes may be viewed as a sign of union weakness, not of strength, because a strong union is able to achieve a negotiated settlement through the threat of strike action backed by membership support in a ballot rather than actually conducting a strike. Union Recognition Although employers may be faced with demands for union recognition, the process of reaching agreement with the union (s) is likely to lead to a classification and codification of a number of key issues. Negotiations over recognition are also likely to confront a key issue. In the 1990s, there was a move towards the establishment of single-table bargaining where all the recognized unions in an organisation negotiated common pay and conditions agreements together rather than a series of separate agreements (Gall, 1994) The final area of decision-making in a recognition agreement is over which issues are to be part of the substantive agreements, that is, which areas of decision-making are to be subject to joint decision-making. These are likely to include basic pay and conditions of employment such as hours of work and pensions. Finally, a recognition agreement would also contain provisions for the resolution of disputes though conciliation or arbitration. Clauses would probably exclude the use of strikes or lockouts until these procedures had been exhausted, thus providing one of the key benefits to management of formal recognition The avoidance of informal or wild cat strikes while disputes are considered through the formal procedures. Substitution Strategic option Beaumont (1987) distinguishes between union substitution and union avoidance as approaches to staying or becoming non-union. In considering union substitution approaches, it might be useful to consider what unions have to offer employees and relate this to the chain of thought that employees might go through in deciding to join or not. The implication is that if management can intervene to influence any of these decisions then the outcome maybe that employees do not perceive any need to join a union as they do not believe that it would be able to improve the terms and conditions of employment or the nature of the employment relationship. Employers could seek to provide alternative channels ‘employee voice through such devices as open-door policies, employee-based works councils and individual-based employee participation mechanisms so that again employees do not feel that union channels of representation would significantly improve their situation at work. Many alternative providers of membership services exist through other membership and commercial organisations so that this is not likely to be the prime route into union membership for non-members (Whitston and Waddington, 1994; Waddington 2003). The essence of Beaumonts argument is therefore that employers can seek to introduce policies and practices that substitute for those which might follow from union membership and recognition. The Human Resource Management Approach to Employment Relations The human resource management approach to employment relations involves coordinating (or bundling) strategies to promote the psychological contract, improve involvement and communication. Armstrong (1999) suggests the following model for employment relations: a drive for commitment winning the hearts and minds of employees to get them to identify with the organisation, to exert themselves more on its behalf and to remain with the organisation, thus ensuring a return on their training and development; an emphasis on mutuality getting the message across that we are all in this together and that the interests of management and employees coincide (i.e. a unitarist approach); the organisation of complementary forms of communication, such as team briefing, alongside traditional collective bargaining i.e. approaching employees directly as individuals or in groups rather than through their representatives; a shift from collective bargaining to individual contracts; the use of employee involvement techniques such as quality circles or improvement groups; continuous pressure on quality total quality management; increased flexibility in working arrangements, including multi-skilling, to provide for the more effective use of human resources, sometimes accompanied by an agreement to provide secure employment for the core workers harmonisation of terms and conditions for all employees; and emphasis on teamwork. Organisational Examples Article written by Cary (2007) explains that Sears Holdings Corporation Canada and U.S October 1,2007 locked out 70 appliance repair technicians in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Sears said ‘the technicians could return to work under imposed terms that do not include any scheduled wage increases for four years. Sears scheduled work weeks without two consecutive days off, eliminated certain overtime premiums, and remove a pre-existing paid holiday. Sears also said ‘technicians returning to work would not pay union dues, almost four months the lockout continues. The lockout technicians are asking North American workers to boycott sears stores in order to get sears back to bargaining. Joe (2009) reports that, there is a chronic shortage of primary and secondary school places in Lewisham. The council of Lewisham proposes to demolish the school, currently for ages 3-

Singapore Casino :: essays research papers

Casino gambling has been legalised in Singapore. Give economic arguments for and against legalisation. There has been much debate in Singapore both amongst the politicians, religious leaders, senior people in the community, and the lay people at large. It is a hot topic. But, the decision has finally been made, the casino will be built. There are many arguments both for and against building a casino. The government, which is for, cites the economic advantages and everyone who is against cites the social impact the casino will have. Arguments FOR the casino The government’s main argument for the casino is increased revenue leading to a boost in the economy. Currently, Singapore’s revenue comes from high tech electronics manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and finance. These industries are starting to slow. According to Reuters Singapore employment in the manufacturing sector has dropped 9% since 1990. In 2004, 14 per 1,000 were laid off in the manufacturing sector and 8.5 per 1,000 in the services sector. The government’s alternative has been to reverse a 4 decade ban on casino’s to help the Singapore economy. The majority of the focus in the long term is from tourism and the flow on effects of tourism such as hospitality, food, retail, taxi, conventions and aviation. The government fears that a steady decline in tourism is already happening. The Prime Minister in his ministerial statement on April 18 2005 said: â€Å"First, we are losing ground in tourism. Tourism in Asia is growing phenomenally, especially the traffic from China and India. Singapore’s tourist numbers are up too, but we see warning signs of problems ahead. Our market share is declining (from 8% in the Asia Pacific region in 1998 to 6% in 2002). Tourists are spending less time in Singapore. They used to stay an average of about 4 days in 1991, but now they stay only for 3 days. In contrast, on average, they are staying for about 4 days in Hong Kong, 5 days in London and almost a week in New York City. We are losing attractiveness as a tourist destination†. In 2004, Singapore earned US$6 billion from 8.3 million tourists. Tourism currently accounts for 3% of Singapore’s GDP, it needs to be at 7% if it is to be a real growth driver. By 2015, Singapore is aiming at 17 million tourists which alone will bring in US$18 billion. It is predicted that by 2010, Asians will spend $23 billion on gambling, and Singapore wants it share.